The Nets Woes

Considering last week when the Nets played the Sixers Joe Johson had 29 points (including 8 threes) in one quarter he certainly could have helped them. Allan Anderson filled in admirably with a team high 26 points but that doesn’t mean you won’t miss Joe Johnson. That really effected the depths of the Nets as they only played 3 players off the bench and only got a total of 13 bench points (although Shaun Livingston did have 11 assists).

Tony Wroten outscored the Nets bench himself 19 to 13. Wroten only played half the game but he attacked nicely when he was in. He even made 2 big 3’s even though some of the 6 he missed "almost cracked the backboard" as Sixers announcer Malik Rose said. KG playing wouldn’t have hurt the Nets cause either because the Sixers were attacking the rim all night (and somehow the Nets still shot twice as many free throws). I can’t complain about the officiating though because they let them play at the end when if that play happened in the first half that most likely would have been a charge on Evan Turner on the game winner.

The Nets problem is clearly defense as you said. They can’t keep anybody in front of them and while Lopez is a decent individual post defender he doesn’t play that great of help defense at the rim. He is averaging less than a block per game this month. Another issue besides interior defense is their perimeter defense. They can’t keep anybody in front and really are lacking the athletes you need to defend on a consistent basis…I don’t even know who their defensive stopper is supposed to be…Joe Johnson?

They should still make the playoffs because they have more talent then much of the East and can shoot as well as anyone in the league…but if they get there they are going to have a tough time winning with their current style of play.

Considering last week when the Nets played the Sixers Joe Johson had 29 points (including 8 threes) in one quarter he certainly could have helped them. Allan Anderson filled in admirably with a team high 26 points but that doesn’t mean you won’t miss Joe Johnson. That really effected the depths of the Nets as they only played 3 players off the bench and only got a total of 13 bench points (although Shaun Livingston did have 11 assists).

Tony Wroten outscored the Nets bench himself 19 to 13. Wroten only played half the game but he attacked nicely when he was in. He even made 2 big 3’s even though some of the 6 he missed "almost cracked the backboard" as Sixers announcer Malik Rose said. KG playing wouldn’t have hurt the Nets cause either because the Sixers were attacking the rim all night (and somehow the Nets still shot twice as many free throws). I can’t complain about the officiating though because they let them play at the end when if that play happened in the first half that most likely would have been a charge on Evan Turner on the game winner.

The Nets problem is clearly defense as you said. They can’t keep anybody in front of them and while Lopez is a decent individual post defender he doesn’t play that great of help defense at the rim. He is averaging less than a block per game this month. Another issue besides interior defense is their perimeter defense. They can’t keep anybody in front and really are lacking the athletes you need to defend on a consistent basis…I don’t even know who their defensive stopper is supposed to be…Joe Johnson?

They should still make the playoffs because they have more talent then much of the East and can shoot as well as anyone in the league…but if they get there they are going to have a tough time winning with their current style of play.

Kirilenko would be their defensive stopper if he could get on the court. He would also give them pretty good rebounding out of the SF spot. Garnett is definitely helping on the defensive end and he is rebounding well. But his offense has been so terrible that he is actually a net negative when he is at the PF spot. I think they can turn it around, but this team is always going to have defensive issues. The personel just doesn’t have enough speed. 

Kirilenko would be their defensive stopper if he could get on the court. He would also give them pretty good rebounding out of the SF spot. Garnett is definitely helping on the defensive end and he is rebounding well. But his offense has been so terrible that he is actually a net negative when he is at the PF spot. I think they can turn it around, but this team is always going to have defensive issues. The personel just doesn’t have enough speed. 

 Ugh. Lopez broke his foot. Seems like he has been playing on a broken foot for a couple of games. He is out for the year. 

 Ugh. Lopez broke his foot. Seems like he has been playing on a broken foot for a couple of games. He is out for the year. 

 Injuries have not helped the Nets this season with Deron missing stretches, AK47 being out for 7 weeks, Brook Lopez missing games and now out for the season. Also with KG starting to perhaps finally show his age, the team has never really got going. Add to that the issues with Assistant Coach Lawrence Frank and we can clearly see that the Nets are in a mess.

Having mortgaged their future to acquire PP, KG and Jason Terry and having also given Atlanta the right to swap picks next summer then things could get a hell of a lot worse for the Nets. The KG and PP trade seemed a fair all in trade even though Danny Ainge drove a hard bargain, the Nets wealthy owner is obviously win now so will bankroll these types of deals. My issue was not with the Nets taking PP and KG or even their age it was that KG had only two years on his deal and PP will be a FA next summer. PP created his legacy in Boston so if things don’t go well at the Nets he could easily retire next summer or look to move on. Don’t forget that someone like Ray Allen in Miami who had 5 happy years with PP in Boston could encourage PP to go to the Heat either as a team mate or to replace him if he retired. PP would have no shortage of contender offers and although Brooklyn would offer him the most money to stay, that isn’t everything as indicated when Ray Allen took less money to go to Miami rather than to stay in Boston. Add to that PP is a multi millionaire, will probably have a job for life when he retires back in Boston or could get lucrative media work so if he does play on then it would be to achieve something.

That brings us to KG, if his form isn’t to his high standards then will he return next year even if it costs him $12 million and as the trade last summer was dependent on KG and PP both moving if PP bolts then I would be doubtful that KG hangs around. KG has always played with great pride and passion added to his HOF skill set so would he tarnish this by hanging around in the league if he felt he could no longer go night after night. He is already having his minutes reduced and having rest games not much over a quarter into the season, is this a good sign, I doubt it.

Even the greatest players reach a point where they cannot hold back time and for all their passion and experience they cannot get near the sort of level they used to. I looked at total career minutes on a reference sight and KG is currently number 1 on the active Minute Leaders list and PP is 5th. Also more tellingly KG is 6th on the all time minutes played regular season list so he has got a hell of a lot of miles on his clock now and PP is 26th on the all time list so for Jason Kidd to have two such key players he needs to monitor minutes to, it creates another big issue.

 Injuries have not helped the Nets this season with Deron missing stretches, AK47 being out for 7 weeks, Brook Lopez missing games and now out for the season. Also with KG starting to perhaps finally show his age, the team has never really got going. Add to that the issues with Assistant Coach Lawrence Frank and we can clearly see that the Nets are in a mess.

Having mortgaged their future to acquire PP, KG and Jason Terry and having also given Atlanta the right to swap picks next summer then things could get a hell of a lot worse for the Nets. The KG and PP trade seemed a fair all in trade even though Danny Ainge drove a hard bargain, the Nets wealthy owner is obviously win now so will bankroll these types of deals. My issue was not with the Nets taking PP and KG or even their age it was that KG had only two years on his deal and PP will be a FA next summer. PP created his legacy in Boston so if things don’t go well at the Nets he could easily retire next summer or look to move on. Don’t forget that someone like Ray Allen in Miami who had 5 happy years with PP in Boston could encourage PP to go to the Heat either as a team mate or to replace him if he retired. PP would have no shortage of contender offers and although Brooklyn would offer him the most money to stay, that isn’t everything as indicated when Ray Allen took less money to go to Miami rather than to stay in Boston. Add to that PP is a multi millionaire, will probably have a job for life when he retires back in Boston or could get lucrative media work so if he does play on then it would be to achieve something.

That brings us to KG, if his form isn’t to his high standards then will he return next year even if it costs him $12 million and as the trade last summer was dependent on KG and PP both moving if PP bolts then I would be doubtful that KG hangs around. KG has always played with great pride and passion added to his HOF skill set so would he tarnish this by hanging around in the league if he felt he could no longer go night after night. He is already having his minutes reduced and having rest games not much over a quarter into the season, is this a good sign, I doubt it.

Even the greatest players reach a point where they cannot hold back time and for all their passion and experience they cannot get near the sort of level they used to. I looked at total career minutes on a reference sight and KG is currently number 1 on the active Minute Leaders list and PP is 5th. Also more tellingly KG is 6th on the all time minutes played regular season list so he has got a hell of a lot of miles on his clock now and PP is 26th on the all time list so for Jason Kidd to have two such key players he needs to monitor minutes to, it creates another big issue.

Once I saw the Nets hired Billy King I knew they were in trouble. This is the same guy who passed on Dirk and Paul Pierce to draft Larry Hughes. He also outbid himself in order to keep Steve Snow and George Lynch. The Nets weren’t good enough to beat the Pacers or the Heat so he decides to throw away their future just so the Nets still wouldn’t be able to beat the Pacers or the Heat. To top it off he hires a rookie head coach. Rookie head coaches never do well with veteran teams I don’t care what sport it is.

Once I saw the Nets hired Billy King I knew they were in trouble. This is the same guy who passed on Dirk and Paul Pierce to draft Larry Hughes. He also outbid himself in order to keep Steve Snow and George Lynch. The Nets weren’t good enough to beat the Pacers or the Heat so he decides to throw away their future just so the Nets still wouldn’t be able to beat the Pacers or the Heat. To top it off he hires a rookie head coach. Rookie head coaches never do well with veteran teams I don’t care what sport it is.

never quite had the grasp on shooting.  He was a PERfectly average player.

never quite had the grasp on shooting.  He was a PERfectly average player.